In organisations that are familiar with project management the selection of the team may have been completed at the same time as the project definition is produced. This may be because there is no choice about which resources will be used, because there are few of them to choose from, or because projects do not enter the definition phase unless the tacit approval of senior management has been given.

When this is not the case you may have to negotiate for resources with individual line managers and may even have to use the authority of senior managers to acquire your team. Avoid compromise when selecting resources, always strive to obtain the best people (see the Project Definition page). You may not always be successful and you will be constantly surprised by the ability of those who were formerly considered 'second rankers'. So much so, that you may well reconsider your selection criteria for future projects.

When selecting the team you should consider skills, aptitude and personalities. If the team is to work well together there must be no strong clash of personalities. Occasionally, this will be unavoidable (see the Team Building Section of this document for tips about resolving conflict within the team).

Remember that suppliers and sub-contractors may also form part of the team. Make strenuous efforts to include the managers and staff of these organisations in the selection and teambuilding process. It will be poor consolation to have successfully negotiated your organisation's 'A' team if the suppliers have fielded the 'C' team.

A project is delivered successfully by the project team. The project manager may be charismatic and enthusiastic but if the project team are immune to charisma and loathe enthusiasm then the project will suffer. It is the project manager's duty to deliver the project through the team and, therefore, the project manager must build the team so that they feel a responsibility to each and not just to the organisation in order that they deliver the project to the defined requirements.

A project manager must be proficient at managing people but must never be seen as manipulative or deceitful. If the project manager does not have the authority of a line manager (which is often the case) nor the responsibility for the team members' personal development then managing the team can be problematic, especially where there is no existing project management culture. This is most often the case when team members are only working part-time on the project. The authority of their operational line manager and the safe and familiar work will tempt some team members to give undue preference to operational work rather than the work of the project. Such situations are best dealt with through discussion with the line manager. The line manager's authority directing the team member to give the necessary time to the project will have more weight than the project manager's

Equally, if the team member spends too much time on the project, breaking agreements with the line manager, then the project manager must take steps to ensure that the situation is rectified or, when the cause is driven by the project's timescale, then the agreement of the line manager must be negotiated. If necessary, the project sponsor or other senior manager should be asked to arbitrate.

Sometimes, when full time team members are allocated to a project for many months (or even years), the project manager will be expected to assume the line manager's role in progress review and personal development matters with respect to the project work. Whether or not a project manager has official responsibility for the team members' personal development, any project manager who does not recognise the legitimate interests, objectives and perspectives of the project team will find greater difficulty obtaining the co-operation and respect of the team.

If the project manager fails to build the team then he will lose a very valuable tool, probably the most powerful in the box. One of the great benefits of team working is peer pressure. People will strive harder not to let their team-mates down than they will not to let the organisation down or their manager down. It is quite possible for individuals to work on the same project yet never feel part of a team. When extra effort is required it is often these people who delay the project. Of course, there are people you can always rely upon to give of their best and go that extra mile whether they are part of a team or not but you will be very lucky to get a team entirely composed of such people on every project.

Projects often make extra demands on people. They demand that people do extraordinary things. People will do the extra work and perform exceptionally for their team because of the social bond a team creates, particularly if the team is seen to be successful. People get hooked on success and will strive to maintain the team's reputation.

For smaller projects with small teams the start-up meeting and project definition/planning exercise may be sufficient initial team building exercise, particularly if it can be combined with some humorous team exercises. This will be especially true for organisations that regularly run projects. The team will then forge close bonds during the planning and implementation of the project.

For larger teams, especially where many of the team have not met before, it is important for people to get to know and trust each other. Away-days and weekend team building functions are useful and rapid ways for people to get to know each other. They do not necessarily have to be the familiar 'outward-bound' type but must contain tasks that stretch people intellectually and require team effort for their solution. They must also be fun. It is a self evident truism to say people who enjoy each other's company will work well together. The 'outward-bound' course can be great fun as long as nobody feels under pressure to undertake tasks for which they have insufficient fitness or which they believe will put them at risk.

Nobody will ever persuade me that jumping out of an aeroplane is fun and I have serious doubts about the wisdom of abseiling down anything higher than 10 metres (30ft) high. Likewise, I believe running up mountains is for the seriously deranged so I leave those activities to those who love them. The rest of us will do the organising and be their support crew. Remember, it is very important that leaders should also serve and servers lead, in order for the team to see both our strengths and those of our weaknesses we feel comfortable revealing. There is a fine line between challenge and burden. The most important thing to remember is that when it stops being fun stop doing it.

This maxim applies equally to the project. A burdened team or team member is an ineffective team. Take some time out to review the project and the work. Maybe it is just that the team has lost focus. A half day break, followed by a re-focus session, may add clarity to priorities and work schedules. Redistributing the work, reprioritising it or gaining agreement for a phase or project extension may be the answer. If the project sponsor is respected (unfortunately they aren't always) a review session with the team at regular intervals gives that extra reassurance that the direction of the project is correct and the work of the team is appreciated by senior managers.

Sometimes, bringing in a new team member (especially one with particular technical skills) will refresh the team but great care must be taken before taking this step because it can entirely alter the team dynamics. Gain the team members' agreement to the introduction of any new member and listen very carefully to any objections they may make. They have a large investment in the project and have a right to their say. Bringing in contract (temporary) staff poses less threat than permanent staff, especially if it is agreed that the contract will be terminated if the person does not show their worth in quick time.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a clash of personalities there are several ways in which it may be resolved. Firstly, if the conflict is based on opinion and not merely behavioural, the team may be encouraged to say to the people concerned that they believe the conflict is unacceptable and that the individuals must settle their differences by arbitration. The arbitration may be that of the team or a higher technical authority. This is the ideal method because it reinforces the authority of the team as an entity and usually ends matters before they get out of hand.

If the conflict is one of personalities or is behaviourally based, then the project manager may have to speak to the persons individually at first and possibly together later. Sometimes behavioural problems are caused by anxiety about the work or the person's role. If someone is failing in their work or does not believe they can cope with the demands of the project, then attitude or behaviour may be the first indicator.

The project manager must investigate the problem in a direct but sensitive manner, always allowing the person to have a face saving option unless this is totally impossible (very rare). Do not be confrontational. Spell out the problem in plain language and show how the behaviour is affecting the project and ask for the individual's perspective about the situation. Listen and respond as positively as possible. People will sometimes act irrationally to situations. The addition of a positive perspective may be all that's required. However, the team member must understand that poor attitude and inappropriate behaviour are not acceptable.

Sometimes the assistance of the individual's line manager should be sought in a friendly "off-the-record" way. The project manager will not want to damage the person's relationship with the line manager or be seen as questioning the line manager's wisdom in allocating the person to the project. The line manager may have the advantage of having known the person for many years and may shed valuable insight on the real causes of the problem.

If all else fails and a team member must formally disciplined and/or be removed from the project, the project manager must ensure that she or he has the agreement of the person's line manager, project sponsor, personnel officer (where applicable) and that all corporate disciplinary procedures are strictly adhered to. It isn't just that the matter may end in an industrial tribunal (which is a major consideration) but that all people have a right to be treated in accordance with due process, law and equity.